Vertical caving terminology and methods > Knots > Common knots
Common Use with caution
A loop knot that can only be tied by threading, and is well known for the mnemonic used to remember how to tie it; the rabbit comes out of the rabbit hole, runs around the back of the tree, then back down the rabbit hole. Alternatively, it can be rapidly tied by threading the tail through an overhand noose, and pulling the noose until it capsizes into a bowline, known as the "quick bowline". The ends of the loop emerge from different parts of the knot, so the loop remains open, which is useful for some purposes. Sometimes used at the start of a rope to connect to a backup. Has the benefit that it is relatively easy to tie, and easy to untie after loading. The ease of untying the knot is its major failing, and it is very prone to accidentally coming undone if pulled the wrong way, cross loaded, or repeatedly loaded and unloaded. Just a few pulls in the cross-loaded direction can be enough to completely undo the knot, and just a single pull on the tail can cause it to capsize so that it undoes completely! Must always be used with a stopper knot, turning it into a stopped bowline, to largely mitigate this very serious risk.
A bowline can also be tied in "multiple bowline" format to create a Y-hang and potentially a traverse line and backup as well. In this format, a normal bowline loop is tied part way along a rope, which is used to create one arm of a Y-hang, while the other arm of the Y-hang is created using a second bowline tied on the very long tail of the first bowline. This approach leaves the rigger without a safety line while working at the pitch head. Further bowlines can then be added for a traverse line and backup, and the final bowline must have a stopper knot. However, because the bowline is threaded knot, it can only be practically tied near the end of a rope, and so multiple bowline format is generally only used when creating a Y-hang without a backup. The load on the second bowline pulls on the tail of the first bowline, which means the first bowline can suddenly capsize into an overhand noose if someone clips a cows tail into the piece of rope between the two bowlines. The first bowline can also capsize into an overhand noose when cross loaded, such as when a cows tail is clipped into the loop of the first bowline. This results in the Y-hang becoming unbalanced, and the load being placed only on one arm of the Y-hang when it is subsequently loaded. Once it has turned into a noose, only the second anchor is then used correctly for support, and if that anchor fails, the first anchor will only take over if the knot from the second anchor jams into the noose or the first anchor. This competely defeats the safety aspect of a Y-hang. If it has turned into a noose and the first anchor fails instead, the knot immediately slips, causing a significant shock load. It is unlikely to accidentally undo when the down rope is loaded, since the first bowline is being pulled in the normal load direction at the same time as its tail is being pulled by the second bowline. There are many better knots to use instead of a multiple bowline, such as a butterfly knot or Alpine butterfly knot, but the multiple bowline may be preferred when connecting the rope directly to an anchor instead of using a carabiner, since it can be more easily tied by threading through itself than the more common Y-hang knots.
A doubled variation of the bowline may sometimes be used part way along a rope by taking a very long bight of rope, and tying it as a doubled stopped bowline around a natural. However, this requires an excessive amount of rope, and if tied without a stopper knot, it leaves an incredibly dangerous loop that someone might mistakenly think they can clip a cows tail into, but since it is actually the tail of the bowline, it can capsize the bowline if it is loaded. There are far better techniques, such as using a sling and carabiner. As a result, it is ony used in desperation when slings and carabiners are not available.
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